A Night in Sickbay (episode)
Archer spends a night in sickbay with Dr. Phlox after Porthos picks up a deadly virus on an alien planet. Summary Jonathan Archer, Porthos, Hoshi Sato and T'Pol are in the decontamination chamber after an infructiferous visit to the Kreetassans. They were trying to improve the relations they have with these people and hoping to be able to get a plasma injector, but they end up offending them again and don't yet know why. Besides, Porthos came back from the planet with a pathogen and Phlox asks to keep him under observation. Since Trip insists on getting the plasma injectors, Archer has to consider formally apologizing to the Kreetassans, but is reluctant to do so because it was their negligence to check Porthos' genome against the environment of their planet that caused the dog to catch the pathogen. He eventually learns that it was Porthos who offended them by urinating on one of their sacred trees, but does not have any sympathy for them, because they didn't have any compassion for his dog. The episode then goes on with tension rising between Archer's sentimentality and T'Pol's advice on the logical path to take. The treatments by Phlox are failing to cure the unfortunate dog, and a worried Archer is not getting much sleep while spending the night in sickbay with Porthos and Phlox, who exhibits some odd behavior of his own. The captain eventually decides to swallow his pride, and following the advice of Dr. Phlox (who turns out to also be a psychiatrist), proceeds with the apologies. In the end, everything turns out all right; his apology is accepted, they are able to get a plasma injector, Porthos recovers after a pituitary gland transplant from a Calrissian chameleon, and Archer apologizes to Phlox and T'Pol for his behavior the last couple of days. Memorable Quotes "I'll tell you one thing, Subcommander: if anything happens to Porthos, I'll be the one watering their Alvera trees!" : - Archer, after T'Pol told him what offended the Kreetassans "Captain you needn't worry, I hold six degrees in interspecies veterinary medicine." "I thought you were just, you know, a people doctor?" "As it happens, I also have degrees in chemistry, exobiology, pharmacology,..." "Alright, I'm impressed." : - Archer inquires about Phlox's qualifications "This isn't so bad. I was sure there would be something in here about standing on one foot with my eyes shut reciting the night before Christmas." : - Captain Archer while studying a PADD with a list of requirements for issuing an apology to the Kreetassans. "Do we have a chainsaw on board?" Ensign Sato to T'Pol, looking over the PADD as Captain Archer leaves the bridge: "I really thought you were beginning to understand human emotions." "Not when they apply to primitive quadrupeds who haven't evolved the ability to speak, or to use a toilet." : - Archer seeking sympathy from T'Pol over Porthos' condition "Sorry, I'm a little on edge. I haven't slept very much, but I'm doing the breast I... the ''best, I can." "''Hmmmm..." : - Archer makes a Pillarian slip while speaking with T'Pol, eliciting a subtle interest from Phlox "Send me your lips... ''lisp... LIST!" : - '''Archer', making his second Pillarian slip in 30 seconds "Why haven't you adjusted your time to our capital city?" "I'm sorry, we didn't know it was a requirement." "It isn't a requirement, it is simply a courtesy. Something your species has yet to understand!" : - A Kreetassan civil servant berates Hoshi "Tell me doctor, does your knowledge on sexual tension result from training or personal experience?" "Well I do have three wives." : - Archer seeking Phlox's advice Background Information * In Captain Archer's dream, the "Dog Cemetery" contains two head stones for dogs, one for "Duffy" (2132 - 2145) and another for "Goldie". Since Archer says he "grew up with dogs", it is possible these were his previous pet dogs. * During the apology ceremony, Archer wears what appears to be the bottom half only of a standard uniform jumpsuit. This indicates that either the jumpsuits are in fact two piece garments with hidden closures or a previously (and subsequently) unseen uniform variant. * The prosthetic Porthos figures seen in the episode – one suspended in the super-hydration tank and one resting inside the quarantine tank – were designed and constructed by Joel Harlow. http://www.harlowfx.net/filmgallery2.html * This episode was nominated for a Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form." * In the first scene after the credits at 3:15 the view of the planet from space shows an exact reverse of the Great Lakes of North America. * The scene with Hoshi Sato, Jonathan Archer, T'Pol and Porthos was used in a recent Virgin 1 advert to show how more sexualized the show had become by first showing T'Pol and Archer clothed then cutting to them practically naked and then it says that the show has become a bit more risque by showing T'Pol putting lotion on Hoshi while she rubs it on Archer then showing him rubbing it on Porthos. * The blue paper bird, used by Phlox, was folded by production accountant Suzi Shimizu. (ENT Season 2 DVD, Ronald B. Moore) * This episode was discussed in the ENT Season 2 DVD special "Inside A Night in Sickbay", with interviews by Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Rick Berman, and Ronald B. Moore. Bakula describes the work in the newly surgical scrubs as a challenge. Links and References Main Cast *Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer *John Billingsley as Phlox *Jolene Blalock as T'Pol *Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed *Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather *Linda Park as Hoshi Sato *Connor Trinneer as Charles "Trip" Tucker III Guest Star *Vaughn Armstrong as Kreetassan Captain Uncredited Co-Star *Evan English as Ensign Tanner References autosuture; Calrissian chameleon; chainsaw; decompression chamber; Denobulan language; dentistry; Dog; Duffy; funeral; Goldie; hematology; Interspecies Veterinary Medicine; Kreetassa; Kreetassan; mammalian; Night Before Christmas, The; pharmacology; Pillarian slip; pituitary gland; plasma injector; Porthos; Pyrithian bat; Pyrithian moon hawk; synaptic inductor; urination |next= }} Night in Sickbay, A de:Eine Nacht Krankenstation es:A Night in Sickbay nl:A Night in Sickbay